§ Mr. HUGH LAWasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he has yet been able to make arrangements for an improvement in the financial condition of 1207W Irish pensioned national school teachers, in view especially of the recent Grant for a Simi1ar purpose in Scotland and of the unanimous demand of the Irish Teachers' Congress?
§ Mr. BYRNEasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if, before framing his proposals for Irish education which he has promised to soon lay before the House, he had consulted with representative educational authorities in Ireland with a view to achieve his object of finding out the needs of Irish education; and, if so, whether the Commissioners of National Education have submitted proposals which were, in their opinion, in accordance with those needs; whether the proposals contained in the Chief Secretary's statement of last July were the same as those submitted by the Commissioners of National Education; and, if not, if he will say what authorities in Ireland he consulted with or on whose advice he brought forward proposals which have satisfied 356 teachers only out of 15,500?
§ Mr. DUKEBefore framing the proposals referred to I had informed myself of the views of the Commissioners of1208W National Education and of various representative bodies interested in the questions involved, including the various organisations of the teachers. Responsibility for the proposals I explained to the House necessarily rests with the Government, and not with the Commissioners.